It is proposed to investigate synthetic procedures for the chemical preparation of bilirubin and biliverdin mono- and di-glucuronides, and conjugates with other sugars such as glucose and Xylose. The approach will involve attachment of hydroxyl-protected sugars to either bilirubin, or more likely, biliverdin, followed by deprotection of the remaining sugar hydroxyls. It is also proposed to synthesize and fully characterize the four hydroxyhemes (iron oxophlorins) from unsymmetrically substituted porphyrins and to study isomeric composition of the mixtures of biliverdins from coupled oxidation of heme proteins; this may shed light on the orientation of the heme within the protein pocket. It is hoped that the unsymmetrically substituted oxyhemes (iron oxophlorins) will be tested as substrates for heme oxygenase, particularly if the four isomers in the protoporphyrin-IX series can be obtained.